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The Erosion of Union Membership in Germany: Determinants, Densities, Decompositions

Author Info

  • Fitzenberger, Bernd

    ()

    (University of Freiburg)

  • Kohn, Karsten

    ()

    (KfW Bankengruppe)

  • Wang, Qingwei

    ()

    (ZEW Mannheim)

Abstract

Union density in Germany has declined remarkably during the last two decades. We estimate socio-economic and workplace-related determinants of union membership in East and West Germany using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel by means of Chamberlain-Mundlack correlated random effects probit models. Drawing on the estimates, we project net union densities (NUD) and analyze the differences between East and West Germany as well as the corresponding changes in NUD over time. Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions show that changes in the composition of the work force have only played a minor role for the deunionization trends in East and West Germany. In East-West comparison, differences in the characteristics of the work force reflect a lower quality of membership matches in East Germany right after German unification.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 2193.

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Length: 39 pages
Date of creation: Jul 2006
Date of revision:
Publication status: published in: Journal of Population Economics, 2011, 24 (1), 141-165
Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2193
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Keywords: East Germany; union membership; union density; correlated random effects probit model; decomposition analysis; West Germany;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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  1. Booth, Alison L & Chatterji, Monojit, 1995. "Union Membership and Wage Bargaining When Membership is Not Compulsory," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 105(429), pages 345-60, March.
  2. Chamberlain, Gary, 1984. "Panel data," Handbook of Econometrics, in: Z. Griliches† & M. D. Intriligator (ed.), Handbook of Econometrics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 22, pages 1247-1318 Elsevier.
  3. Fitzenberger, Bernd & Kohn, Karsten & Wang, Qingwei, 2006. "The Erosion of Union Membership in Germany: Determinants, Densities, Decompositions," IZA Discussion Papers 2193, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
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  6. Fitzenberger, Bernd & Beck, Martin, 2003. "Changes in Union Membership Over Time: A Panel Analysis for West Germany," ZEW Discussion Papers 03-42, ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research.
  7. Jacques Silber & Michal Weber, 1999. "Labour market discrimination: are there significant differences between the various decomposition procedures?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(3), pages 359-365.
  8. Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2003. "Trade union membership in Eastern and Western Germany: convergence or divergence?," Discussion Papers 18, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Chair of Labour and Regional Economics.
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  13. Wolf Dieter Heinbach, 2006. "Bargained Wages in Decentralized Wage-Setting Regimes," IAW Discussion Papers 26, Institut für Angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung (IAW).
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  17. Oaxaca, Ronald L. & Ransom, Michael R., 1994. "On discrimination and the decomposition of wage differentials," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 5-21, March.
  18. Hendrik Biebeler & Hagen Lesch, 2007. "Zwischen Mitgliedererosion und Ansehensverlust - Die deutschen Gewerkschaften im Umbruch," Industrielle Beziehungen - Zeitschrift fuer Arbeit, Organisation und Management - The German Journal of Industrial Relations, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 14(2), pages 133 - 153.
  19. David G. Blanchflower, 2007. "International Patterns of Union Membership," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(1), pages 1-28, 03.
  20. Berndt Keller, 2005. "Union Formation through Merger: The Case of Ver.di in Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 43(2), pages 209-232, 06.
  21. Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2003. "Determinants of Trade Union Membership in Western Germany: Evidence from Micro Data, 1980-2000," IZA Discussion Papers 708, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
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